Spring-supporting clamp



C. H. FESSLER.

SPRING SUPPORTING CLAM P.

APPLICATION FILED )AN. 8, 1919.

1,316,226. Patented Sept. 16,1919.

awn/141 01 iZss/eh panying drawings, wherein UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

owns 11. rnssLEn, or oovINeToN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING-SUPPORTING cums.

Application filed January To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES. H. FnssLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Covington, in the county of Tioga and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Support ing Clamps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to spring supports and clamps, and particularly to a supporting clamp designed to engage the quarter elliptic springs used on certain well known makes of motor cars. I

, Springs of this character are attached to the longitudinal frame beams of these cars by bolts extending upward through the springs and engaging the flange of the frame beam and in about 80% of the breakages in cars using these springs, the bolts break under the strain of service letting the ends of the springs drop.

The general object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which will prevent this breakage and specifically to provide a device which will clamp the butt ends of the spring leaves together and which will also hold the butt end of the quarter elliptic springs supported firmly against the spring bracket attached to the car frame.

A further object is to provide a device of this character so constructed that the clamp will take up 80% of the strain of the spring and permit a longer bolt to be used to take up the remaining 20% of the strain.

My invention is illustrated in the accom- Flgure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile frame and spring with my device applied, the axle being in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional new on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the clamp. Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that my device comprises a spring support made of steel and approximately U-shaped in form, the support being designated 10 and the leg 12 of the support being longer than the leg 11. The blank from which the support is made is approximately one-half inch thick. The leg 12 is formed with a relatively large screw-threaded openlng 13 and passing through this opening is a tubular Specification of Letters ZPatent.

Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

s, 1919. Serial No. 270,176.

screw 14: having exterior screw-threads engaging the screw-threads of the opening 13. This tubular screw is provided with a head -15 whereby a wrench may be applied. The opposite leg 11 is perforated for the passage of a bolt 16 having a head at one end, the bolt pass ng through the several leaves of the e liptic sprlng and through the tubular screw 14: and head and being engaged by a nut 17. The actual use of this device is illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein 18 designates the longitudlnal frame beam of the car and 19 the usual bracket riveted or bolted thereto, this bracket having an outstanding flange perforated for the passage of the bolt 16. The spring leaves which form the spring 20 are of any usual or suitable form and a spring is connected at its extremity to the axle 21. A bolt 22 may pass through the leaves and through the bracket 19 and the clamp 10 be applied around the butt endsof the several used with the spring 20 in place of using .one of the clamps and the bolt 22.

With a construction of this character the screw 14 takes up 80% of the strain on the spring and holds the butt ends of the spring leaves abutted firmly against each other. Inasmuch as a relatively long bolt may be used, the bolt will be stronger and inasmuch as very little strain comes upon this bolt,

the bolt will not be liable to break.

I claim 1. A spring clamp of the character described, comprising an approximately U- shaped body adapted to embrace a supporting bracket and a plurality of spring leaves, and a tubular screw having screw-threaded engagement with one leg of the clamp, the other leg of the clamp being perforated for the passage of an attaching bolt.

2. The combination with a bracket and a plurality of spring leaves supported therefrom, the butt ends of the leaves being per- 2 emme forated, of a clamp therefor approximately lar screw and having a nut bearing against U-shaped in form to provide two legs, one the end of the tubular serhw 10 of which is adapted to rest upon the bracket In testimony whereof I hereunto eflix my and the other be disposed beneath the springslgnature in the presence of two witnesses.

5 leaves, a tubular screw passing through the CHARLES H. FESSLER. latter leg and bearing against the spring Witnesses: I leaves, and a bolt passing through both legs, WILLIAM H. J oHNsoN,

the bracket, the spring leaves and the tubu GLEN W. BOYCE. 

